Arkansas

State News

Large trucks on the Indiana Toll Road will see 35-percent fee increases starting Oct. 5 as part of Gov. Eric Holcomb’s (R) plan to increase state transportation funding by an additional $1 billion. The increase, which amended an existing contract and did not require...

Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper (R) included a call for increased transportation funding in his Jan. 11 State of the State address. Gov. Hickenlooper pointed to the recent passage of local transportation funding ballot measures in the state, and the successful state...

Without new revenue, Connecticut’s Special Transportation Fund may face a deficit beginning in July 2018, and could reach insolvency by mid-2020, Gov. Dannel Malloy (D) told Wall Street rating agencies. The state may begin making cuts to the operating budget and...

Louisiana voters approved a measure on Oct. 14 to dedicate all revenue from new taxes on motor fuel (created on or after July 1, 2017) to a Construction Subfund of the Transportation Trust Fund. This fund would be used by state and local governments for construction...

A Mississippi bridge with a posted weight limit collapsed Aug. 28 when a truck that may have weighed more than the limit crossed it. Read More>> Pennsylvania House Republicans proposed a state revenue plan on Sept. 5 that would reallocate funding from a variety...

The Arkansas Highway Commission announced on June 7 that it will seek to place a measure on the November 2018 General Election ballot that would raise up to $400 million annually in new revenue for road construction. Commission members will decide in the next few...

Enacted Legislation Utah Gov. Gary Herbert (R) on March 25 approved legislation that permits the department of transportation to authorize up to $1 billion in general obligation (GO) bonds over the next four years to accelerate transportation projects. Gov. Herbert...

Legislators and Governors Proposed legislation filed by Rep. Randal S. Crowder (R- Clovis) in New Mexico would permit counties and cities to implement a local option fuel tax of up to 5 cents per gallon with voter approval. Read More>> Outgoing North Carolina...

by Tyler Kane, Transportation Investment Advocacy Center Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R) signed House Bill 1009, titled the “Arkansas Highway Improvement Plan of 2016”, into law on May 23 in order to generate nearly $50 million for the state’s highways over the next...

While Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R) on May 5 reiterated his plan to push for a transportation funding increase without raising state motor fuel taxes in an upcoming special legislative session, several Republican legislators revealed their intent to introduce a 13...

Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant (R) proposed an increase in the state motor fuel tax during his Jan. 26 State-of-the-State address. Read More *** A plan to increase the Alaskan state gas tax received its first legislative hearing Jan. 26. The state is currently facing a...

Both Missouri and Arkansas expressed concerns Dec. 2 that their states will not be able to provide the required matching funds in order to receive federal highway money as laid out in the surface transportation bill, “Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act,” or...

*Federal funding percentages are from an ARTBA analysis of FHWA Highway Statistics data, total ten year average 2004-2013 from tables SF-1 and SF-2. The percent is the ratio of federal aid reimbursements to the state and total state capital outlays and is indicative of the importance of the federal aid program to state capital spending for highways and bridges. Does not include local capital spending. Federal highway reimbursements are primarily used for capital outlays, including construction, right of way and engineering, but are also used for debt service for GARVEE bonds.

Sponsor:

The Transportation Investment Advocacy Center (TIAC) is a key component of ARTBA’s “Transportation Makes America Work!”™ (TMAW) program and supported through voluntary contributions and sponsorships. To become a sponsor or to make a contribution, contact TIAC Director Carolyn Kramer at ckramer@artba.org or 202-289-4434. Also contact Ms. Kramer if you have questions or comments about any reports or case studies published through the TIAC.

The TIAC Education Program:

In addition to the dynamic www.transportationinvestment.org site, the TIAC program includes an annual workshop in Washington, D.C., and ongoing webinars for transportation investment advocates featuring case studies, best practices, and the latest in political and media strategies. State and local chamber of commerce executives, state legislators, state and local transportation officials, “Better Roads & Transportation” group members, industry and labor executives, and leaders of state and local chapters of national organizations who have an interest in transportation development programs are welcomed to participate.